1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to water filtration, and, more specifically, to control systems that add enhancements to filtered drinking water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unwanted and potentially harmful contamination in water, especially drinking water, is of concern to many people. This concern creates a desire for water treatment devices in the home and elsewhere. Many water treatment devices and methods have been developed to remove or neutralize particulate and chemical contaminants.
Major categories of consumer water filtration systems include plumbed-in or faucet-mount systems that rely on the pressure of the water supply to force untreated water through a water treatment device; and non-plumbed, pour-though or batch systems that rely on gravity to move water from an upper influent water chamber, through a filtering means to a lower effluent water chamber. In general, most pour-through systems use water filters made of loose filtration media, as the force of gravity is not usually enough to push water through more compacted media. On the other hand, most faucet-mount systems filter water through porous composite blocks made from filtration media and binders. Water in faucet-mount systems is driven through filter blocks by pressure in the water supply line. Other water treatment systems that can use porous composite blocks include refrigerator systems and squeeze bottles.
People have greatly increased their consumption of filtered or processed water in recent years. Many people choose filtered water because they like the taste or because they believe it is a healthier option than tap or well water.
There is an increasing demand for dietary supplements, such as vitamins, minerals, and herbs, as part of maintaining overall health. It is desirable, as an outgrowth of water filtration, to offer enhancements to add to filtered water to support the health of consumers. Although enhancements can be purchased separately and added to filtered water, it is inconvenient to have to open a package or several packages to get the mix of enhancements desired. It is even more inconvenient to do this repeatedly for each serving of filtered water, requiring additional time and utensils. Furthermore, it is not very useful to mix up a large batch of filtered, enhanced water, as many enhancements change over time after mixing into water.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved devices and methods for adding enhancements to filtered water.